Energy – Deficient properties may face ban…

Landlords may have five years to upgrade their properties to a minimum energy standard or risk having them banned from the market. If the rental property has an EPC rating of less than E, they would face criminal prosecution if they put the property on the market.

The Minimum energy efficiency standard could be in action for all privately rented homes in 2016, around 30 organisations have tried to action this and are demanding the new law to be introduced. Over 180 MPs have so far supported this overwhelming demand by and early day motion. It is not clear at this time what penalties landlords may face if prosecuted.

The Energy Bill, which includes the Green Deal, has a new clause that outlaws colder rental properties by 2018. Campaigners are not happy with this, they think this may be too late and the Green Deal leaves too much to chance. The campaigners (including environmental campaigners and a child action poverty group) are arguing that the green deal has loopholes, which means that landlords will be given a life line if they undertake the nessessary improvements with finance being made avialable under the green deal. With this they would be able to continue letting the unacceptable, cold properties because the property may not have been improved to the E branding on an EPC.

Another argument is that tenants could be evicted because improvements have been asked to be made. Campaigners are arguing for a new law to have basic standards of insulation and heating in every private rented property.